The Parchman Farm was a self-sustaining, racial enclave in the southern United States. The farm originally consisted of three separate farms. The idea behind the establishment was to be self-sufficient and profitable for the residents. However, changing views on race had serious implications for black Americans, resulting in the doubling of the black prison population in the North by the early 20th century.
Freedom Riders were sent to the plantation after demonstrating in the 1960s. They were stripped of clothing and subjected to strip searches. One guard, Deputy Tyson, taunted and intimidated the freedom riders before leading them to their cells. The prison guards were relentless. The Freedom Riders' plight was documented in the BBC's Fourteen Days in May (1987) which followed the last two weeks of Edward Earl Johnson's life. In the film, Johnson's last words are heard over the sounds of the gas chamber.